Is It Still Me That Makes You Sweat?
by TJ Sparkles
Summary: It's been nearly two years since they decided to part ways, and yet, neither of them have really moved on. Christian/Lita. Please R&R.
1. Could've loved you all my life

**A/N: My 51st story, yay :) That's kind of hard to believe. Anyway, this idea just came to me and I'm not really sure what to do with it or where it's going..just kind of winging it. I also realized that I've never written a fic revolving around Christian, so this is my attempt. **

**Set in 2005, after the draft. I'm ignoring the whole Edge/Lita/Matt fiasco, and also Jericho's departure in August. **

**Please R&R, and oh yeah, enjoy!

* * *

**

_**One.**_

Jay Reso was the kind of guy that women confided in, the kind of guy that was viewed as a "best friend" type. You know the kind, the guy who accompanies his female friends to birthday parties and swanky restaurants when they don't feel like showing up alone, or if a date canceled. To women, Jay was that stereotypical "nice guy", the one that you could count on for anything.

He was not the kind of guy that women dated. At least, not lately.

The reasons why were unknown to him, and in fact, he'd spent many a night contemplating exactly what quality he possessed that made women turn the other way and run. Was it his looks? Jay felt that he was reasonably attractive—maybe not "male model" attractive, just regular—but attractive all the same. Was it his physique? Jay knew that he wasn't the most muscular guy, especially if he compared himself to the majority of the guys on the roster, but he trained hard and was content with his body, overall. He didn't want to be one of those overly muscular guys, anyway.

Could it possibly be his attitude? Jay was famous for having a biting wit and sarcastic tongue, which sometimes rubbed others the wrong way. It was never his intention to offend anyone with his comments—Jay really was a sweet guy who valued his friends and enjoyed making new friends—his sarcastic humor was just another aspect of his quirky personality. Jay could understand if that turned some women away, but really, he didn't think that his humor was a factor in why women seemed to avoid him.

He tried not to think too much about his bad luck when it came to women, but his friends liked to constantly remind him. Adam in particular loved to make jokes at Jay's expense. He often referred to his best friend as a "chick repellent", which really irritated Jay, although he laughed along with Adam. That was another endearing quality of Jay's—he wasn't afraid to laugh at himself.

In all seriousness, though, Jay knew that he was a great guy, with a lot to offer any woman. It just seemed to him that women would rather be his friend than his lover.

That hadn't always been the case, in fact, Jay had been in a couple semi-serious relationships, and then of course, there had been that one serious relationship—the one that he could never push out of his mind, no matter how hard he tried. It would be a stretch to say that the demise of the relationship had drastically altered his view on commitment, but he was much more cautious now about dating. He wasn't so jaded as to believe that there wasn't anyone out there for him—the man just believed that it was better to just let things unfold as they may. If he happened to find his soulmate—if there was such a thing—then of course he would be happy. But Jay wasn't holding his breath for that.

Besides, the lack of a romantic life gave him much more time to train and hone his skills. He hadn't been in the title picture as of late—not that he minded being in the tag division, because it had been great and had changed his life thus far—but what he really longed for was singles gold. With the extra time, Jay knew that he could work his ass off to prove that he belonged at the top.

Sometimes, however, life throws you curveballs and it's up to you to decide how to counter them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She was the "Extreme Diva", the one that the other girls watched in admiration every week. If one thing could be said about Amy Dumas, it was the fact that she had an unbridled passion for what she did. She gave 110 percent in the ring, which was exactly why she was loved so much by her fans and respected by her peers. It was obvious to everyone that had the pleasure of watching her and working with her that Amy thrived at her job.

But even though she loved the admiration of her fans, it wasn't enough. The redhead couldn't quite pinpoint it—even though she'd tried time and time again—but her life seemed to be lacking something, or perhaps _someone._ Now, Lita had never been one to depend on a man to keep her happy—but the redhead still couldn't help but wonder if maybe she was missing something in her life. Her last serious relationship had ended on a particularly sour note, and so she'd vowed off dating for a while. Besides, the Women's Championship was calling to her, and what better time than to reclaim it? The beautiful Diva was a firm believer of seizing every possible opportunity one was presented with, and now that she wasn't spending the better half of the week crying into her pillow, she was in the perfect state of mind to recapture the Women's Championship.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Going into the arena that night, hearing the crowd swell with anticipation and excitement, was akin to a drug for the Toronto native. He never felt so alive as the nights where he entertained the packed arena of fans, screaming at the top of their lungs for their favorite Superstars and Divas. It was a feeling he never wanted to go away.

The show passed by quickly enough, although he'd been disappointed in the lack of airtime he'd gotten, and so Jay reluctantly made his way back to his locker room to gather up his belongings.

_Looks like it's going to be another night of pizza and Sportscenter, _he thought disgustedly as he bent over and tied the laces of his brand-new Nike shoes that Chris had given to him. In the past, Jay hadn't minded spending his nights in his hotel room, instead of going out with the rest of the roster, but after a while, it grew stale. A person could only handle eating take-out and watching ESPN for so long. He knew that he would be more than welcome to join the boys in their club excursions—Chris and Adam had tried to get him to come along numerous times—but it just didn't appeal to Jay anymore. When he was younger and first starting out in the business, he'd been quite the party animal. Sure, there were some nights when Jay liked to let loose and tear it up with the boys, but those nights were few and far between. He'd grown up over the years, unlike many of his male counterparts, and realized that the party scene and wrestling didn't exactly go hand in hand. He preferred to have a clear head when wrestling, instead of trying to work through a hangover.

The Canadian hoisted his duffel bag over his shoulder as he exited the locker room, closing the door firmly behind him. A couple of the guys were still lingering around in the hallway, talking and laughing about something. Jay tried his best to walk around them, hoping that none of them noticed him. As much as he loved talking to the guys, tonight he just wasn't in the mood. A hot shower and a cold beer was what he had been looking forward to all day. His muscled ached—but then, they always did—and he was just ready to get back to his room at the hotel across the street.

Jay never paid attention to people around him as he walked, which is exactly why his mouth dropped open when he snapped his head up and noticed a very familiar figure in front of him. He blinked at first, thinking maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him, but when he looked again, his eyes confirmed what he had seen earlier.

Never in a million years did he expect to see her standing across the hall, deep in conversation with another friend of his, Trish Stratus. She still looked as beautiful as ever to him, and Jay wondered what she was doing here. He hadn't spoken to her in almost two years, ever since the infamous storyline between himself, her, Trish, and Chris. Of course, being on separate shows was a big factor in the reason they hadn't spoken—but really, it was more of an excuse on both their parts. Adam was on RAW, and Jay found plenty of time to talk to him. When it came to her, however, he simply just couldn't bring himself to break the ice.

For a brief second, if even that, their eyes met, both of them completely surprised to see the other. His blue-green orbs remained on hers for a few seconds, until he finally broke eye contact. Both waited for the other to say something, to clear the thick, uncomfortable silence that lingered in the air like a vicious storm cloud, but alas, neither of the two made any attempt to do so.

Jay contemplated actually speaking to the woman for a minute, but he brushed off the notion almost as quickly as it had entered his mind. He didn't know what to say to her—their relationship hadn't ended on the best terms, and he was positive she didn't want to speak to him either—so he continued on his path, letting out a sigh of relief once he reached the parking lot. That had certainly been..awkward, he thought. He quickly tried to push the encounter out of his mind as he started his car and pulled out of the small parking lot.

As they say, every end has a beginning. Jay didn't like to reminisce too much, but he would be lying to himself if he said that he didn't lie awake at night, wondering how the whole entire situation had gotten so messed up so quickly. He blamed himself, mostly, but there had been other factors that had contributed to the demise of the relationship.

All he could think about that night, in his bed at the hotel, was how happy she had looked, laughing and smiling with Trish. It set off a wave of jealousy inside of him—he had once been the only one who made her smile and laugh like that. She seemed to be doing just fine without him.

The problem was, no matter how hard he tried to deny it, he wasn't doing just fine without her.

_Is it still me who makes you sweat?_

_Am I who you think about in bed?

* * *

_

**I'd really like to continue this. But I want to know what you guys think: if you think this is better as a oneshot, then let me know. And if you'd like me to continue it, let me know :)**


	2. Sweetie, you had me

**A/N: Thank you guys for all of your reviews!!! Here's Chapter 2. I hope you enjoy!  
**

**Oh, and you'll probably notice that I alternate between calling Christian "Jay" and Lita "Amy." It's just something that I do; hopefully it won't confuse you. If so, let me know :)

* * *

**

_**Two.**_

A week later, Jay still couldn't get the previous week's encounter out of his head. It constantly ate away at him—on the way to and from the arena, early in the morning when he was getting ready, even during matches, the encounter always seemed to creep into his mind.

Like now. The former Intercontinental Champion was in the midst of preparing for a match, but his mind kept drifting back to Lita and how he had been close enough to lock eyes with her, close enough to smell the intoxicating scent of her perfume. Two years later, and she still had the same effect she'd always had on him: the ability to make him weak in the knees with a simple glance.

The voice of his best friend filled his ears, interrupting his thoughts abruptly.

"Have you talked to her yet?" Chris questioned, as he laced up his boots. He too had a match that night, against Shelton Benjamin. Chris wasn't really concerned about the match, though; he was more concerned with his best friend and what was going on inside his head.

Jay shook his head, as he absent-mindedly rubbed the light stubble that covered his chin. What was he supposed to say? He was pretty sure that Lita didn't want anything to do with him, and personally, he couldn't blame her. Jay knew that he'd acted like a jackass one too many times in his life, and now he was paying for it. And even if he _had _considered apologizing, what was the point? It wouldn't change anything.

Chris looked at his friend incredulously, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Why not? What are you waiting for, jerky?"

"Because…because, I mean, what am I supposed to say to her? You know how it went down the last time. I hurt her bad, Chris…what makes you think she'll even allow me to talk to her?" He paced back and forth nervously, nibbling on his fingernails.

The other man stood from his position and walked over to where Jay was standing, a sympathetic look on his face as he spoke.

"Jay, look at it this way: two years is a long time." Chris put his hand on Jay's shoulder. "No one holds a grudge for that long. I know how hurt Li was when you two broke up—don't forget that Trish and I went through the same thing—but I know that even though she was pissed at you and hurt because of what happened, she still cared about you. Li's not the type to hold a grudge for long, Jay."

Jay shrugged, not quite sure if he believed what Chris said or not. He knew that if he had been in Lita's position, he would definitely be holding a grudge. He knew that he'd screwed up big. But like the saying goes, hindsight is always 20/20. Jay knew that he'd be more than lucky if Lita ever decided to talk to him again, let alone forgive him.

"I don't know about that, Chris," he said with a heavy sigh.

"Trust me," Chris replied, reassuringly. "Trish forgave me…I'm willing to bet that if you actually talked to her about this, and apologized, Lita would too."

"But that's Trish," Jay pointed out. "It's a completely different situation."

Chris hated seeing his best friend and the woman he considered a sister still at odds with each other after two years. Somehow, someway, he was going to find a way to get them back together. Interfering in his friend's personal lives was something he didn't do often, but in this case, he felt that he had to make an exception. Everyone around them knew that Jay and Amy were perfect for each other—they had a chemistry that many others could only dream of having. The "bet" had changed everything between the two couples, and not for the better—it had been at least seven months before Trish gave in and let the issue die between her and Chris.

"Do you want me to talk to her for you?" Chris offered helpfully.

Jay scoffed loudly, a small snort following the scoff.

"Yeah. Yeah, Chris, that'll look real good on my part, sending my best friend to handle my relationship issues for me."

"All right, calm down, junior," Chris answered, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I was just trying to help."

The younger man ran a hand over his short locks. He knew that his friend meant well; it was just that he felt this was something he had to fix. He had gotten himself into this mess, so it was only right that he remedy the problem.

"Thanks, Chris. Really, I appreciate it," the Toronto native said. "I just don't think that there's anything either one of us can do." He resumed his pacing throughout the small locker room.

"If you say so, man," Chris said, dropping the issue. He stood up and stretched a few times, in an attempt to loosen up his muscles so that he wouldn't get hurt during his match. He turned to Jay.

"I'm going out there; you gonna ride with me back to the hotel afterwards?"

Jay shook his head.

"Nah, man, I think I'm gonna ride back with Adam. We haven't seen each other in a while, you know, so I think we're gonna catch up and stuff."

Chris nodded.

"OK, then I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, later, man," Jay replied, his mind revisiting the encounter with Lita once again.

_Why didn't you say something? _

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On his way out of the arena, Jay felt his stomach rumble. He sneaked a quick glance at his watch and decided that he probably had time to get something to eat before he caught up with Adam. Turning on his heels, Jay headed toward catering, not really paying attention to his surroundings as he whistled a little tune. That always calmed his nerves a bit.

He was more than surprised to see the Extreme Diva running toward him, a sympathetic look on her face. _Surprised _would be an understatement, actually. What was she doing here? Jay almost considered pinching himself to see if the scene was actually real. After all, she hated his guts, didn't she? So why was she standing in front of him, then, with those big eyes locked right on his?

"So, I heard that your brother was sick." The redhead stated, as she ran her fingers through her tangled hair.

Surprised, Christian responded,

"How did you know that?"

He was totally thrown for a loop right now. She was standing so close to him that if he wanted to, he could bend down and capture her lips with his. He longed to do so, he yearned to taste the sweetness of those lips again, but Jay knew he had to hold back. It wouldn't be right, to say the least.

"Oh, I have my sources," the redhead replied. She managed a small smile, and, laying a hand on Christian's arm, said,

"Tell him I hope he gets better soon."

Nodding, a bit puzzled at the unexpected contact, Christian gulped,

"Sure thing."

Lita smiled once more and turned to leave, the smile still on her face as she walked away.

Once the redhead was gone, Chris, appearing seemingly out of nowhere, chuckled and clapped his best friend on the shoulder.

"What?" Jay snapped, the tone of his voice speaking volumes about how annoyed he was with his friend at the moment.

"You two are so made for each other, it's obvious."

"Will you shut up?" Jay rolled his eyes.

"Don't be mad at me because I speak the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, Chris tells me that you saw Jay earlier," Trish began, as she grabbed a bottled water out of the hotel room's mini-fridge. The blonde raised an eyebrow at her friend as she took a small sip of the cool beverage, expecting the redhead to toss a retort her way.

"Well?" The Canadian pressured when her friend didn't speak. She was still trying to figure out what had come over her. Mainly, she was trying to sort out why she'd walked up to Jay and blurted out her condolences about his sick brother. Why should he care what she thought? More importantly, why did _she_ care about him anymore? His personal life was no longer her concern. She couldn't figure out why she'd spoken to Jay—it was as if something had possessed her to do so, and now she wished she never had. She was supposed to hate him. After all, he had broken her heart just two short years ago.

"Well what?" Lita answered, shrugging her shoulders as she reached over and picked up a magazine from the small night table beside the bed.

"Oh come on, Li," Trish said, as she joined her friend on the bet. She stared at the other woman with a knowing look on her face. "You should talk to him…you know that he still cares about you."

Lita snorted as she continued to flip through the magazine.

"Does he, Trish? Did he ever really care about me?"

Trish bit her lip as she tried to think of a way to express her words.

"You know how Jay is, hon. He sometimes says things he doesn't mean—okay, he says things that he doesn't mean _a lot_—but you know that he's got a good heart. I know that he still cares for you, and I think you know it too. So why don't you talk to him?"

Stubbornly, Lita replied,

"A telephone works both ways. If he still cares so much, why hasn't he called?" She folded her arms over her chest. Denial was a tactic she'd been employing lately—she hated to admit it, but she _did_ still care about Jay. At least she thought she did. The redhead didn't know what she felt. She just wished that the two of them weren't on the same show. Moving on was near impossible when you had to see the person almost every day.

And yet, she didn't even know if she wanted to move on. She only knew that Jay Reso scrambled her brain and made her thoughts go haywire.

"You're quite the stubborn one," Trish chuckled. "That's exactly why you and Jay argue so much—both of you are exactly alike." She took another drink of water. "It's kinda cute, really."

Not in the mood to discuss the topic of Jay Reso any further, Lita tossed the magazine onto the floor and got off the bed that she had previously been sitting on.

"Look, Trish, I don't want to talk about this anymore, okay? I just..I need to get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

Trish sighed as her friend exited the room. It was so obvious, no matter how much Lita tried to deny it, that she still loved Jay. Trish knew her best friend well enough to know that if she didn't want to, she'd never talk about the issue again, and that just wouldn't do. Those two needed to be together.

_There has to be some way to get them to realize that they belong together, _she thought as she turned the light off and snuggled under the covers. And she was going to find out what it was.

* * *

**I love this story. I'm hoping you guys do too :)**


	3. Where was it that we last left off?

**A/N: I meant to update this like a week ago, but I got slammed with school assignments and then went out of town. But school is over for me now, so I'm hoping to have more time to update this story. Hopefully I haven't lost you guys yet. Enjoy the chapter, guys, and keep those awesome reviews coming.  
**

**Thanks to my awesome reviewers, the lovely Vera, Nani, Sunny, and And. You ladies are awesome! Also, a BIG thanks goes out to And (cherrycokerocks) for all her help with this chapter. I know I drove you crazy, sorry about that.**

**

* * *

**_**Three.**_

"So, this trip to Mexico," Trish began as she ran a comb through her hair. The two of them were in the small bathroom of the room they shared together, preparing for something that Lita was not pleased with: the WWE's latest venture to the country of Mexico. It wasn't that Lita hated the country itself; it was just that the company had been to the country so many times during her time with them that going there grew old. She no longer found it exciting, but then again, would anyone after visiting one particular place an umpteen number of times?

"What about it?" Lita questioned as she looked up from her magazine, her gaze meeting that of her best friend's.

"Well, Li, we are going to be in a gorgeous country for two weeks…could be the perfect opportunity to make up with Jay." She winked. However, this clearly did not amuse the redhead, as she shot Trish one of her _'don't even go there' _looks. In an attempt to change the subject, Trish asked,

"Do you remember where I left my earrings?"

With an exasperated sigh, Lita reached down and picked up the small golden hoops off of the small table across from her, adopting a scowl once she noticed the delighted look on her best friend's face.

"Would you stop talking about Jay?" Lita snapped, not really caring if she sounded bitchy or not.

Trish took the hoops from her friend's hand and sighed as she put them on. Once finished, she gave herself a once-over, nodding approvingly at her reflection.

"Okay, okay, I give up," the blonde said as she made her way out of the bathroom, Lita following suit. She hummed to herself as she walked over to the spot where her suitcases were sitting, and bit her lip as she contemplated whether or not she needed to add anything to them.

"Thanks, Trish," Lita replied dryly, rolling her eyes as she collapsed on the bed. They were scheduled to fly out of Tampa in a few hours, but if Trish didn't wrap this up soon, they were never going to make it to the airport in time. Lita knew better than to try and hurry her friend up, though. Trish would take as long as she needed to take, no matter if they missed their flight or not.

"After all, it's obvious that you're totally in denial," Trish laughed, as she shoved another pile of clothes into her already filled suitcase.

"I am NOT!" Lita bellowed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. Why couldn't her friend understand that she wanted _nothing _to do with the former Intercontinental Champion? Jay Reso didn't exist in her eyes. OK, so that wasn't entirely true, but damn it, she was going to pretend that it was. The fact that they were going to be in the same country for two weeks was bad enough as it was. She didn't need any more drama added to it, which is why she was going to go out of her way to make sure that their paths crossed as little as possible.

"See what I mean?" Trish said, unfazed by her friend's reaction.

Lita simply rolled her eyes as she stepped back into the bathroom. If they were going to be in Mexico for several weeks, then she was going to do everything she could to ensure that she didn't get sick like last time. In the medicine cabinet, there was a first-aid kit that Adam had given Lita a couple of Christmases back. She'd initially joked that Adam was too cheap to get her a proper present, but actually, the first-aid kit had been a good idea. Lita always made sure to carry a few of them in her purse, in case she needed them.

_Bringing my own water would be a good idea too, _the woman asserted. Getting Montezuma's Revenge would certainly put a damper on the trip. Even though she wasn't planning on having a good time, Lita still didn't want to spend the majority of the trip with her head hanging over the toilet bowl.

A knock came at the door, and since it was apparent that Trish was obviously not going to answer it, as she was still preoccupied with her suitcase, Lita opened it, to see Chris Jericho standing there, a smile on his face.

"Morning, Leets," Chris greeted. The redhead just nodded in response, the scowl still on her face, which prompted the Canadian to crack,

"Well, aren't we just a ray of sunshine this morning?"

Lita shot him a death glare, indicating that she was in no mood for his jabs, and the man's face quickly fell. He walked over to where his girlfriend was still standing, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her on the forehead.

"Morning, sweetie," Chris said with a smile. Trish didn't reply at first, as she was still trying to shove clothes into her second suitcase. After it became obvious that the suitcase wasn't going to hold any more clothes, no matter how hard she tried to shove them in there, she abandoned the task and plopped down on the bed.

"Hey, babe," Trish replied, a bit out of breath from the exertion.

"You're still packing?" Chris asked incredulously. "You really wait until the last minute, don't you, Patricia? I finished packing all my stuff last night."

"Well, I wasn't sure what to take, you know, and I just wanted to be prepared. Preparedness meets opportunity, you know." Trish said.

From across the room, Lita scoffed. Trish sent a look in her general direction, and, turning back to Chris, sighed, and looking down at her two very jammed suitcases, said,

"I think that's all I'm going to take." She ran a hand through her hair and turned again to Chris, who had an amused expression on his face.

"What are you laughing at, Christopher?" she demanded, hands on her hips.

Shaking his head, the blonde man laughed and, adopting a mock feminine voice, replied,

"'I think that's all I'm going to take.' You could fill the entire continent of Africa with the contents of your suitcase."

"Says the man who has more shoes in his closet that any woman on the roster," Trish retorted in a teasing manner, as she grabbed her purse and quickly made her way over to the mirror in the kitchen so that she could apply another coat of lip gloss.

"Come on, Trish, we don't have all day," Chris said, lightly grabbing his girlfriend's arm. "I'm serious; we're going to miss our flight. You can apply your thousandth coat of mascara on the plane. Let's go."

Trish pouted, rolling her eyes as she spoke.

"Patience, my dear Christopher, patience."

"I have no patience anymore," Chris replied evenly. "Being with you for so long has eradicated any patience that I might have once had."

Trish put a hand to her chest, feigning hurt.

"Why, Christopher, I'm hurt," she told him. "Are you implying that being with me is a pain?"

"It's definitely not fun," her boyfriend replied, but his eyes were twinkling.

_They make me sick, _the redhead thought. She loved them both, and they were her dear friends, but sometimes, being around Trish and Chris was more than Lita could stomach. They were always holding hands and smiling and being playful, and it really unnerved Lita. Of course, this would lead one to believe that Lita's feelings were nothing more than jealousy, and they would be right.

Lita just didn't want to admit to herself that she was jealous of the relationship the two had.

"Um, okay, then, if you girls are ready, I guess we should get going," The Canadian said, changing the subject, as he bent down and hoisted Trish's suitcases over his shoulder. He motioned to Lita with a nod of his head and queried,

"Need me to get your bags, Li?"

"I think I can manage," Lita replied sarcastically. Grunting, she grabbed both of her suitcases, struggling a bit due to the fact that the carry-on bag across her shoulder was weighing her down. As she struggled to maneuver her suitcase out of the room and down the hall, her foot got caught in the jamb of the doorway, causing Lita to stumble forward and into someone else.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized, as she began gathering up the clothes that had spilled out of the other person's suitcase in the melee. Not even paying attention to the person, Lita began scooping the clothes up and stuffing them back into the suitcase. She was very unpleasantly surprised, however, when she came across a very familiar item of clothing: a sweater that she hadn't seen since…

_Oh, great._ Lita knew immediately who the other person was, and she quickly stood up, groaning once she met the eyes of Jay Reso.

"You still have my sweater?" she exclaimed incredulously. "What were you planning to do with it?"

"Geez, you're just full of questions this morning, aren't you?" Jay snapped back, snatching a handful of clothes from Lita's hand. "I forgot I had it; it's not like I kept it for sentimental reasons or anything. You really think I'd want anything that would remind me of _you_?"He shook his head.

_I so don't need this today, _Lita told herself. If Jay wanted to be an asshole, that was fine, but she was not going to stand here in the hall, arguing with the one person that irritated her more than anything.

"You know what, you can pick up the rest of this by yourself," Lita huffed, turning on her heels and storming off. She didn't say a word as she stomped down the hallway, dragging her suitcases behind her.

"What was _that _all about?" Trish asked, quickening her pace in order to catch up with Lita.

"Hell if I know," Lita shrugged, trying to downplay the encounter. It seemed that, no matter how hard she tried, she could never escape him. It was beginning to really annoy her.

_Why can't he just leave me alone?_

* * *

Still sullen from her encounter back at the hotel with Jay, Lita had chosen the seat closest to the back once the three of them boarded their flight. She wanted to sit by herself, and thought that she was going to get that opportunity when Trish told her that she'd be sitting with Victoria. But she hadn't had much of a chance to relish her alone time, as Chris had plopped down in the seat beside her.

Lita really wanted nothing more than to be alone with her thoughts, especially after the surprise encounter with Jay, but at the same time, she didn't want to hurt Chris' feelings, and so she hadn't objected when Chris had asked if it was okay for him to sit beside her. It was a much better alternative than Trish, who Lita knew would pepper her with questions about Jay the entire time. Chris, on the other hand, knew when to keep his mouth shut. She'd always liked that about him.

The two of them had been sitting in complete silence for the past half hour or so, neither really thinking about anything in particular—well, at least not on Chris's end—until the man finally broke the awkward silence.

"Hey, you okay?" The Canadian questioned, his eyes resting on Lita.

"Fine," she replied with gritted teeth.

"You don't like flying, do you?" Chris asked, as he glanced down at Lita's hands. The redhead was gripping the armrest tightly, and her knuckles were a pale shade of white from the action.

Letting out a long breath, the Diva replied,

"No, I don't hate _flying,_ I just hate the takeoff." Of course she was lying; the takeoff never bothered her either, not with the amount of times she'd flown, but she just didn't feel like talking to Chris about what was bothering her. He was her friend, but he was also Jay's, and Lita couldn't be sure that he wouldn't relay whatever information she told him back to Jay.

The two felt into an awkward silence yet again, with Chris staring out the window and Lita resting her eyes, preparing to drift off into a comfortable slumber.

"So, about Jay…" Chris began awkwardly, a bit unsure of how to approach the issue. He'd known Lita long enough to know that she didn't like people—even her friends—butting in her romantic life. Chris didn't want to take the approach that Trish had suggested, which involved trying to play matchmaker, but he did want both of his friends to realize that they were a perfect match.

"Forget it, Jericho," Lita said, cutting the man off before he even had the opportunity to bring up the sore subject. Jay Reso was the last person she wanted to hear about at the moment, especially since he was just a few rows in front of them. It was bad enough that she had to even go on the same trip—now she had to worry about another encounter on the plane.

_I should've just sucked it up and sat in coach._

"What's been going on with you guys lately, if you don't mind me asking?" Chris asked, not meaning to be prying or nosy. He was just genuinely concerned about the two former lovers.

"I really don't know, Chris," Lita answered, and this time it wasn't a lie. "Why don't you go ask him, though, 'cause I'm sure he'd be more than happy to tell you about how I screwed his life up." The tone of her voice was bitter; not like her at all.

"I'm not asking him, I'm asking you," Chris said calmly. "Come on, Li, I know that he hurt you in the past, but he still cares about you, I know that he does."

Lita snorted.

"Well, he sure has an odd way of showing it," she retorted, still staring out the window.

"No one ever said that Jay was the most sensitive guy," Chris pointed out, trying to lighten the mood.

"No, you're right," Lita agreed thoughtfully. "In fact, I think that the term 'male chauvinist pig' was created with Jay in mind."

Chris just laughed and shook his head.

"You're too much, Li." He smiled brightly as his friend, and for a split second, the two of them were quiet.

"Look, I'm not gonna stick my nose where it doesn't belong. Just know that I was only trying to help….I mean, this whole mess is partly my fault, anyway."

"I wish Trish would take a page out of your book," Lita said jokingly.

"Ah, but that's just Trish being Trish." Chris smiled warmly at his friend, before grabbing his Ipod from his carry-on bag and slipping the earbuds into his ear. It was going to be a long trip, and since she hadn't slept much at all last night, the redhead decided that napping would be the perfect way to pass the time.

The rest of the flight went pretty smoothly, with Lita falling asleep not long after the conversation she'd had with Chris. She was grateful that she'd been seated next to Chris, who allowed her to have some quiet time, instead of Trish, who would have talked her head off the entire time. It was a nice change.

* * *

Once arriving at the arena, Lita said her goodbyes to Trish and Chris, as she made her way into the locker room to prepare for the night's events. According to the script she'd received, there was to be a number one contender's match against Victoria. If she won, of course, then Lita would go on to face Trish for the Women's Championship.

She was nervous, but excited. It had been a very long time—too long, in her opinion—since she'd held the coveted title, and Lita had made it her mission as of late to recapture it. Nothing was going to stop her from leaving the arena as the new WWE Women's Champion, and despite the fact that her day hadn't started off on a good note, she would make up for it by making absolutely sure that nothing ruined her night. She wouldn't allow it.

That was her plan, of course, until she saw the same person that she hadn't anticipated seeing again tonight. Was he following her?

There was Jay, standing in the middle of the hallway, his arms crossed and a slightly amused look on his face.

"Where you going to, huh?"

The redhead sighed and rolled her eyes as she replied.

"For your information, I have a match."

"Yeah, I just came from Bischoff's office," Jay replied, nodding in the direction of the General Manager's office. "He told me that it was a number one contender's match…you nervous?"

Why was he attempting to make small talk with her? Lita felt like telling him that, no, she wasn't nervous, and even if she was, why should it matter to him? He'd given up the right to be concerned about her long ago.

"Not really," she replied breezily, not quite looking at him.

"Yeah," Jay stated uneasily, a bit hesitant as to what to say. There was no denying that the relationship between them was icy at best, but did that mean that it couldn't be repaired? Jay wanted to try and start over again, but he really didn't know how to.

"I really don't have time to talk to you," Lita said, brushing past him swiftly.

"You can't avoid me forever," he called after the Diva.

But his words were lost on Lita, who was already out of earshot.

Little did he know that the Diva was planning to do just that: avoid him. If he thought that it wasn't possible, then he would quickly find out how wrong he was. When Lita was mad at someone, avoiding them became an art form in a sense. She would go out of her way to make sure that she and Jay never crossed paths; or at least not until she was ready for them to.

* * *

To say that the match hadn't quite gone as she'd planned would definitely be an understatement.

Toward the end of it, Lita had planned to end the match with her famed Litasault, but her attempt had been a failure, as Victoria had reversed it by catching the Diva, slipping her into a deadly Widow's Peak, and covering her for the pin.

But that wasn't what bothered the redhead; it wasn't what currently had her blood boiling with anger. No, the cause of her anger was due to the actions of one Jay Reso. He had come down during her match, for reasons unknown to Lita. Whether he intended to or not, he had provided the perfect opportunity for Victoria to get the win. Lita cursed herself for allowing him to distract her like that. But it was still Jay's fault.

_He knew damn well what he was doing. _

Without even thinking, she stormed into catering, stopping when she noticed the blonde man. She didn't even give him time to speak, because she knew that if he spoke first, he'd try to smooth things over and cop out of what he had just done. Lita was angrier than she'd ever been with Jay, and she was about to let him know it.

"What the hell were you doing out there, Jay?" The redhead fumed, clearly still pissed over losing her number one contender's match to Victoria.

Jay blinked, a bit startled by the question. He had only intended on ensuring that she won her match.

"I..I was just trying to help," he finally stammered, his face red with embarrassment.

"Next time, don't," Lita hissed. "You knew how important this match was to me, Jay, and now I blew it. Now I won't get another chance at the Women's Championship for a long time. You heard Bischoff; this was my last opportunity. Why would you do this to me?"

The Canadian stood there, his mouth still slightly open, giving him a look akin to a fish gulping for air. Still clearly upset, the redhead continued, her hands tangled in her hair. She felt like actually tearing it out by the roots, she was so upset. Why did Jay have to go and screw everything up?

"I'm sorry, Ames," he said softly, running a hand through his hair. He had only gone down to the ring with the best of intentions, and it had backfired on him. Now Lita thought that he'd tried to screw her title shot up, when that wasn't the case. He'd only meant to help her.

"You can't just walk in and out of my life whenever you want to!" Lita yelled at the Canadian, all the anger that she'd been feeling over the past couple of days evident in her voice.

Jay moved closer to the woman, contemplating for a second whether or not he should get any closer. It was obvious that Lita was furious with him, and not just because of his interference in her match.

"Look, I'm sorry, Li," he said softly, as he moved forward to rest his hand on Lita's shoulder.

But the redhead recoiled, as if his touch would burn her.

"Stay away from me, Jay," Lita called as she walked away. "I mean it."

And now they were back to square one.

* * *

**Wow, that ended up being much longer than I planned, LOL.**


End file.
